The Pollinator Policy Project (Aka Insect Authority project), led by the Xerces Society with support from the Chuck and Ernestina Kreutzkamp Foundation, is working to amend state wildlife protection guidelines to include invertebrates.

Currently, many U.S. states do not legally recognize insects as wildlife, preventing state agencies from using funds to protect imperiled pollinators like the monarch butterfly and the rusty-patched bumble bee.

By closing this regulatory gap through targeted legislation, this initiative will empower states to direct funding toward insect conservation, access federal resources, and take proactive steps to prevent species declines—ensuring the survival of these vital contributors to ecosystems and agriculture.

Learn more about this project on this episode of the Xerxes’ podcast, Bug Banter.